His Memory, My Guilt, My Friend
by RAMI-ZenigataPWNS
Summary: Slight AU; Two years ago, a young Zenigata was involved in a crash that took away his memory. Now, he his about if see the man who ruined his life, but... Will he remember him? And will Lupin ever forgive himself for what has happened to this man?
1. It Draws Me to You

Here it is, my second Lupin III story. This is the prolouge. Note; The story will not be completely in first person, the first chapter will be 3rd person.  
This will likely be a hurt/comfort/friendship story. And if you look at it someways, A bit more between Zenigata and Lupin.  
I'd like some feed back about that, and maybe I'll make it slightly Romance, but for now, enjoy.  
Ps; Five year age difference between Zenigata and Lupin.

Disclaimer; I do not own Lupin III

* * *

What had it been now? Two years? Yes, that sounded about right. Two years since… Since… What? I don't really quite remember… Well, you see, I really don't remember a lot of things. All my memories starts two years ago, when I woke from a coma. The Doctors and nurses kept referring to me as Zenigata, or Koichi-san, or even Zenigata Koichi-kun. But personally, I had no idea who this person was. I found out from them my age, my occupation, hell, even my newborn's name… But … Most of that never stuck to my memory. And even now, no memories had returned to me of my previous life. They told me I was a twenty-three year old Detective's apprentice. I had been helping my mentor on a particularly difficult case, and while on the job, was involved in a large explosion. Or so they had told me. Apparently it was a miracle I even survived, but my memory was not so lucky, I suppose. Even after two years it was hard to imagine what my life used to be like, and I was hard pressed to wonder why my memories didn't want to comeback.

I asked the doctors frequently, but they never gave me a straight answer. And once I was once again physically fit, they suggested I went to an institution. I insisted I was in fine mental health, from what I could tell. But if it was able to bring back some of my erased memories, I was all for it. I checked into the third level of the complex. For the stable long-term patients of the 'Memory Ward'. Below me was the temporary patients, and above me, the crazies. The staff often didn't like it when I called them that, but it was just too much fun. Living in the Memory Ward wasn't nearly as horrible as I expected, most of the people were really nice. And sometimes they even remembered me for more than an hour. I had only met a few other Amnesia patients, but most of them regained parts of their memory, or at least enough to go home. They referred to my condition as 'Complete Amnesia', but kept in hope that they would soon come back. After two years, even I was beginning to lose hope. But the staff here, and some of the patients kept me in high spirits, trying all sorts of exercises to help me.

It is so kind of them… But it isn't working… I've talked with the women, whom I once known as my wife, and she had made it very clear that I was different from before… But… What was before? She had said, before I had been strong willed, loud, determined, clean-cut, and rule abiding. I had tried for weeks to picture myself like that, as a diligent police officer, but I just couldn't do it. That person, seemed like someone else. As if I had really died then, and I was now my own reincarnation. The thoughts hurt my brain. She also mentioned that now I acted like… A child. I didn't see why that was any worse then some crazy work-a-holic dude. At the one month mark, one of the nurses offer to cut my hair. I refused, and I still am not sure why. Soon it was starting to get in my eyes, and now, it reached under my nose, and at the back it came to my neck. I don't really think I should cut it, but I always get teased, being called a 'Surfer boy', or a 'Girly boy'. I think it just made me want to keep it all the same.

But recently, I've become bored. The day they had said was my twenty-fifth was the last time my family came to visit. It had been little over a month… I had the feeling they had finally give up trying to deal with the heart break, or something like that. The staff assured me they would be back, but I didn't believe it. I supposed I would be stuck here until I knew enough about the world to try and… I dunno, do something I guess. I once asked the staff about how my life here was possible, I didn't want the family I didn't remember to have to pay for something like this. I was glad to learn that my former place of employment had been order to pay for this by a Judge or something. I'm not sure anymore, I kinda lost interest when they told me it wasn't my family paying. I guess the relief of the statement was what got to me.

I really wish something would happen, I wish I could remember my life, go back to my family. Go back to what it was supposed to be… But it seems fate would not let me. The doctors and staff said that maybe I had yet to find the key to regaining my memories. Where was this damn 'key' supposed to be anyways?

* * *

When was the last time I really had fun with this? A year ago? No… Two? Yes… Two. But why had it stopped being fun? It wasn't like the safes weren't a bit of a challenge in themselves, or the police were… Too stupid… But, since I was eighteen, it just seemed to be too easy. I wonder sometimes if that was the prime of my career as a thief, or if… Or if I just didn't have a rival, someone who could actually make things more challenging… But… In my memories, I remembered there was once someone like that. A young man, who was working with old Detective O'Quinnly, a supposed prodigy when it came to law enforcement. I remember faintly what that man used to say… _I will be the one to arrest you, Lupin! _He always seemed to be close, but I was a step ahead of him… Well… Most of the time. I nearly laughed at the memory… What had happened to him? Two years ago he seemed to disappear off the face of the planet, along with Detective O'Quinnly. I do remember the last heist I saw them though, now that I really think of it. I thought they had either been replaced, or had given up. But now that I truly gave it thought, it seemed like unlikely thing for someone as determined as O'Quinnly's assistant seemed to be. Then… Why?

The question bothered me for a few days, until I finally decided to look into it. Two years ago, when I was eighteen, I made a huge news, all over the world, I was famous, dangerous, and good looking. Though, the last one was a given. At such a young age, safes were no trouble to me, policemen? They seemed like fools, Detectives? Even they seemed incompetent, compared to the 'genius thief' that I was.

But now I seem they hadn't been daunted by me… They hadn't back down, or been taken of my case, they… They had been in a explosion. I read and re-read the article at least three times, allowing the information to finally sink into my brain. _In pursuit of the infamous Lupin III, Detective Haim O'Quinnly, and his young assistant Koichi Zenigata where involved in a car explosion. While driving after the thief, O'Quinnly lost control, of the car, barrelling into a corner gas station. The resulting explosion could be heard half way across the city, as ambulances rushed to the scene. Detective O'Quinnly died in hospital a few hours later, leaving behind a wife of forty years, two grown sons, and six grandchildren. Zenigata was treated at the hospital for serious head trauma. Zenigata is currently in intensive care, and doctors say the rest of his body only received minor injuries. _I recognised the date even… It was the day after I had made that heist… I was half way to Europe. I-I had never known about this, was I really so ignorant?

My heart seemed to hurt, as if someone was squeezing it from the inside. It was my fault, it was my fault that O'Quinnly died. I read a few more articles about him, the squeezing feeling seemed to increased. Nearly feeling as if it would burst when I saw a picture of the late Detective with his family, a grandchild on his knee. The guiltiness I felt was only rivalled by the curiosity I felt to Koichi Zenigata. I stumbled on a more recent article, dated back to about eight months ago.

_Over one year ago, after a grizzly explosion in the south of the city, Koichi Zenigata lost a lot of things. He lost his mentor, the arrest of Lupin III, and… His memory. Suffering from head trauma, Zenigata was brought into Saint Davis General Hospital with potentially left threatening injuries. Zenigata was treated by Dr Tenma, the head neurosurgeon, and miraculously survived the brush with death. But there was a complication with his recovery, and the man slipped into a coma for a total of three weeks. After a long and anxious time for friends, family and doctors, Koichi Zenigata awakened from the coma. _

_His pregnant wife, along with his mother were the first to greet him as he awakened. But this is where is the story of survival takes a even sadder note, Koichi Zenigata has developed a case of near 'Complete Amnesia'. _

No…

_The man remembers nothing about his life before awakening in the hospital…_

No… Not him… He couldn't have…

_Despite the efforts of the people around him, Zenigata seems like he is unable to regain the memories before his coma. An emotional Koyuki Zenigata spoke to me about how she is dealing …_

I couldn't read anymore… It… It was so painful, I couldn't believe it… This was my fault… My fault that Haim O'Quinnly was gone, my fault a young family has to deal with something like this, and my fault… My fault that someone lost everything they had known about himself. I felt like crying, this… This was torture. I had never known about this, and I probably should have. I wondered how these people were now, did old Mrs O'Quinnly still visit her husband's grave? Is Koyuki Zenigata getting by with her young child? Has Koichi Zenigata regained any of his memories?

Over the next few weeks, those three things became my personal mission. To find out how these people have faired with their tragedies. First was Mrs. O'Quinnly, whom seemed to be doing well. She was doing better than I thought, at least. From what I could tell, she still visited her husband's grave, but was not in any financial crisis, as I had feared. I knew that it would take her a very long time, if not for ever for her to be truly okay again… But at least she wasn't manic depressive. The next person I checked in on was Koichi Zenigata's wife, and her young daughter, Toshiko. It was nice to find that they had been living with Zenigata's parents. The… The only thing that bother me was that… Well… It seemed as if she… Was seeing someone new. It was too hard to think about… I left the place soon.

Now… I find myself here, Harrington Institute for the Mentally Unhealthy and Memory clinic. Try saying that five times fast, I thought to myself, looking up at the tall white building. Was… Was he here? Out of all the people's lives I've ruined, I was most interested in him. He was the one I could really visit, talk to, and he would have no idea who I was… Even without a mask. Walking closer to the building, an anxious feeling began to creep up on me, reminiscent of the days when my heists were much more exciting. Days when… When O'Quinnly and Zenigata were on my case…


	2. You don't know Me

Here is the second chapter. I got a reveiw, and it made me really happy, so... Please... FEEDBACK!  
Urgh, it is so hard to keep this a friendship, and not a... Like, romance or something.  
I guess I'll try though.  
Disclaimer; See chapter 1

* * *

Outside the Harrington Institute for the Mentally Unhealthy and Memory Clinic Lupin tired to calm his breathing. What would he find in this place, would it be a depressed near vegetable of the man he once knew? Or would it be something darker? Something he couldn't stand to see the man become? The man, more of a boy than anything, walked through the doors. The first floor, the reception and general clinic, it was white, well kept, and quiet. A nurse looked up as Lupin approached the counter, her name tag read Mine Fujiko. Lupin gave the receptionist small smile, trying to look worried and sad. It wasn't hard.

"May I help you?" Fujiko asked, looking up at the man in front of her, he was young… Too young to be in a place like this, she thought. The man in front of her pulled out some ID from his pocket, laying it on the counter.

"My name is Arsene Nipul, I am here to visit Zenigata Koichi. I-I'm an old friend, from when we… From when we were kids… I came back from abroad and… And I…" His voice cracked in a dramatic manner, the worry was easy to keep in his voice. The nurse was shocked into action.

"Oh! This is good! Koichi-kun… Well, let's just say he hasn't had very many visitors lately, I'm sure this will cheer him out of his recent slump." Fujiko smiled, writing the name down, and quickly going through the standard procedures. After going through a metal detector, Lupin got the pat down from a male staff member. The man's name tag read Ishikawa Goemon, and he seemed… Decently friendly.

Soon Lupin was being led up two stair cases, and down a hall. Fujiko was leading him like an expert through the institute, walking down the halls that she had probably walked a millions times before. They came to a set of light blue double doors, familiar with the kind you seen in hospitals. It gave Lupin a bag feeling about the place, but it seemed alright so far, so he was willing to believe a lot. A simple back and white sign was on the wall above the doors.

'Memory Ward'

Lupin engraved the sight into his mind, reminding himself over and over that it was his fault that someone was here.

"Are you ready to go in, Nipul-san?" Fujiko asked calmly, and Lupin noted that she really seemed happy that Zenigata had a visitor. And before… She had mentioned he recently hadn't had many visitors, had they all given up on him? It made the thief's stomach turn uneasily. Could the memory-less man be dangerous? Or mental unstable?

"What… Is his mind set like? Is he stable?" Lupin asked slowly, trying to choose words that couldn't be taken offensively. But the nurse merely smiled, mumbling a quiet 'you'll see', and pushing through the doors.

"Koichi-kun? Are you here? You have a visitor!"

* * *

This morning, Koichi Zenigata woke up early, sitting by his window, watching people come and go. People that would be here to visit someone other than him. Not long after he stretched, leaving the chair, and leaving the room. Because he was as mentally stable as any other person, Zenigata was allowed free will around the third and first floors, including the gardens outside. Most of the Memory Ward patients were allowed to wander about, the staff hoping that something will miraculously help their memory.

Coming to the end of the residents hall, the man wandered into the Memory hall common room. Some patients and nurses were already up and bustling about. Koichi's eyes were wide, and innocent. Something they never where before, according to the women his once knew as his wife. His bangs fell into his face, tickling his nose slightly. Koichi was reminded of the time they had showed him a picture of before the incident. The man in the picture had short cropped hair, and an almost angry expression in his eyes. Koichi had tried to make that face, while looking in a mirror, but just ended up cracking up, it looked ridiculous. Why would anyone want to look so mad and determined at the same time? He wished he could lecture he former self, about being happy, and having long hair…

Wandering to the art section of the ward, he spotted one of the few people here that were kinda like him is their condition. Currently there were three besides himself, two girls, and an older man. From what Koichi could remember about being told about their conditions was that they all suffered some type of Amnesia. What he had not been told, however, was the severity of their cases. Was it worse, or better than his? He hoped better for their sake… Missing Twenty-three years was not the greatest thing in the world, but he decided it at least wasn't the worst.

The women looked up from her drawing, it was a picture of the other girl mentioned before. She smiled at the male who was approaching her. She had short blonde hair that stuck out in all directions and bright blue eyes.

"Remember anything today, Zenigata?" She asked lightly, placing her pencil behind her ear. Zenigata sadly shook his head, this had been their routine for the last four months. She would always ask him, and he always had the same answer. A simple shake of the head. Koichi once again found himself wandering when Jani, the blonde, and the other girl with Amnesia, Sydney. Sydney had longish curly brown, and a ever cheerful disposition.

Finally he found himself back at a window, in the common room. It was overlooking the visitor's entrance, but it was if he wasn't really watching the passing people, but instead, immersed into his own thoughts. His body leaned on the door frame, arms curled around himself, a frown on his face. _'Have they really given up on me? Has the world… Forgotten Koichi Zenigata?'_ Even to himself, his thoughts seemed to make little sense. A sigh was tempted to slip through his lips, waiting for something to happen was always that hardest part of any day. Maybe one of the crazies would do something cool, he thought, the corners of his lips twitching up slightly. He looked over his shoulder slightly, as the main doors of the Memory Ward opened, revealing Nurse Fujiko and… Someone Koichi had sworn he had seen before, a patient maybe? Or maybe just someone who has visited someone in the last two years?

"Koichi-kun? Are you here? You have a visitor!" Nurse Fujiko smiled, spotting said man by the window, he blinked, confused. Pushing off from the window frame, and uncrossing his arms. His face was reminiscent of a curious cat, as he calmly walked across the room. Stopping a few feet in front of the nurse and the visitor.

"A visitor for me? Are you sure?" He asked in a hopeful voice, and edge of excitement was there.

"Yes, yes Koichi-kun, I'm sure, this is Nipul Aresene-san. He says he is a friend of yours from when you were young, isn't that exciting?" She assured the man, and after a few minutes of slow and awkward conversation, she left the two. Lupin had his eyes trained on Zenigata the whole time, surprised on how much his demeanour had changed in the lest years. This wasn't the loud determined man he had known, instead was curiously innocent looking man. Something Lupin would never think of to describe Zenigata… Well, at least the one he remember. But… This man looked really shy, probably because he really didn't know anyone outside the institute.

"So, Koichi-kun… Would you like to go somewhere to talk?" Lupin said, finally letting his eyes wander from that man, and all around the room. Said man was inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, the younger man's eyes were no longer on him, as if… The were expecting something. Zenigata had defiantly seen too much of that in the short time he remembered being alive. Zenigata turned, and waved him out of the common room, he'd rather talk in private… Just in case this person had any embarrassing stories to tell. He learned that the hard way, when the women whom called herself his mother had rattled of stories of what he did as a child. Although he remembered none of it, it was still pretty embarrassing to have everyone know how you first used the toilet. Specially if you didn't even know about it yourself.

"So… How exactly… Do you know me?" He asked tentatively, as they reached his room. Lupin seemed more interested in his room than answering his questions, looking at the things Zenigata had collected, or had been given by the people who had known him. Lupin finally stopped scouring the room, sitting on Zenigata's bed, and looking at the man who stood awkwardly in the door frame. Closing the door behind him, he sat down on the floor, near the other side of the room.

"We were childhood friends."

The statement caught Koichi off guard, he looked up at Lupin, who was giving him the same look as before. He brought his knees to his chest, leaning his head on his knees, it was nice to have a visitor… But his head hurt…

"What… Was I like back then?… Y'know, fro-" Zenigata was interrupted he quiet question when Lupin stood suddenly from the bed. With an impatient look on his face, he crossed the room in two long steps. He towered over the curled Zenigata, kicking his leg up near the older man's face, staring down in a intimidating way. Zenigata looked at the foot to his right, and then at the impossibly tall seeming Lupin.

"Well, first of all… You would have never let me do something like this, you had too much pride." He stated simply, leaning a bit closer to Zenigata, an even more confused look making it's way on to the other's face.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly, concerned for his safety. What this man really a childhood friend? Or maybe a childhood nemesis… Or possibly a convict he had supposedly once sent to jail? His mind started to run wild, along with his heart.

Lupin merely smiled and laughed slightly, sticking his hands into his pockets, and going back to the bed.

"First of all, you'd have never been so submissive. You'd probably gotten angry, and I don't think you have been very scared." His statements rang with a know-it-all air, as if he truly knew how Zenigata would have acted. And, as far as the former police officer knew, he could.

Zenigata rubbed his eyes, the more he talked with Lupin, the more his brain seemed to ache with rolling waves of pain. But, despite the voice in his head telling him to alert one of the nurses, he stayed were he was.

For the next hour the pair talked, talked about the recent years, and the memories of his past which Zenigata did not share.

"A-And then, BOOM! No more candy cart!" Lupin said, the two were howling with laughter, tears leaking from their eyes. "I-I can't believe we did stuff like that!" The older man said between giggles, in a bewildered voice. "From what people told me before, I was a hard ass, that didn't really know how to have fun."

"Oh… You were, until we hung out! I mean, we got in all sorts of trouble man, but… It was fun." Lupin said, and then his voice dipped an octave lower, and creeping sort of sadness coming into his voice. "And I haven't had as much fun in two years… They really have been dull without you." Lupin spoke the truth, looking at the other's eye in a sad way.

"I'm… Sorry? I guess there isn't much I can say… But, two years ago? Didn't you say we were childhood friends? Oh! When was the last time you saw me before it happened? Y'know, before the crash happened?!" The question seemed so important to him, and Lupin wasn't even sure why, but with a sigh, he answered anyways.

"Believe me, it wasn't long before it… Less than an hour…" Zenigata's eyebrows shot up, from what Lupin could tell from under those dark bangs. "An… An hour?" He breathed out, a look of disbelief shining on his face. This was the closet he had ever got to the two parts of his life, someone who had seen him less than an hour before he became… Someone else.

"Please! You have to tell me everything about that day!"


	3. The Wheels are Turning

I'M BAAAACK! People actually seem to be reading this, so why not give it a third chapter right?Thirds are always a good thing.

Disclaimer; See chapter one.

This Chapter is dedicated to MangaFairy, because she(he?) put a on a story alert while I was writing it.

* * *

Lupin gulped, could he really tell Zenigata of what really happened that day? Or would he end up just lying again? The first seemed more ethical, the latter seemed more logical. Should he tell him, and let Zenigata hate him again? Or should he keep it a secret ? Looking at his feet, he opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened as well, a red faced Goemon stood there, another man was behind him.

"I told you they weren't doing anything, Jigen!" The man said, turning the man behind him. Said man, seemingly another member of the institute's staff, laughed, covering his mouth his hand. "Sorry! It was just too much fun to see you get worked up over it!" He barked out, laughter affecting his speech.

"What did you think was going on?" Zenigata said, blinking at the rather bizarre scene like it happened every other day. Goemon's face looked guilty, and still had hints of red on it, while Jigen's looked like he had adopted the Cheshire cat's grin. Lupin seemed to catch on first, his face getting a bit red as well.

"H-HEY! I'm not like that!" He yelped.

"In which way?" Jigen countered.

"What are you guys talking about!" Zenigata yelled, making everyone look at him. They all had the same disbelieving face, 'did he really not get it?' seemed to be the collective thought. The silence seemed to hang in the air for a moment, until Zenigata's confused and angry face, turned into one of mere confusion.

"No one is gunna tell me?" He had barely managed out the words when the other three burst out laughing. Zenigata's face grew hot from embarrassment, as stood up, glaring at the trio. "What's so funny? Why are you laughing at me- Oh… Actually, that is kinda funny…" Finally it seemed the former detective clued in, face shifting to normal. Goemon was the first to recover from the laughing fit, coughing, and excusing himself from the room. Jigen managed out a quick goodbye, before following Goemon down the hall way. Lupin was still giggling as the doors closed, every time he lifted his eyes to the other man, a string of giggles escaped his lips. This lasted longer than it should have, in Zenigata's opinion, every time he tried to start a conversation with the red jacketed man, his only response would be giggles.

"Oh come off it, Bozo! It wasn't that funny!"

"I know! I know!" Lupin gasped for air, tears in eyes, "it was just your reaction! It was so… So…" He looked into Zenigata's eyes, smiling.

"Stupid? Slow? Idiotic?" Zenigata guessed, counting the suggestions off on his fingers, an irritated look on his face.

"I was going to say priceless, but those work too!" Lupin laughed again, taking deep breathes, trying to calm his now erratic breathing. He was holding his sides, as if they would burst at the seams, revealing his guts to the world. But he was lucky, he guessed, the seams held and his guts remained safely inside. The tears slipped down his face, and he wiped them with a ruby sleeve. He looked at Zenigata, finally able to keep a slightly stable face. The other man was smiling, laughing slightly as well. Zenigata opened his mouth to speak, and again, the door opened. Nurse Fujiko appeared, holding a clipboard to her chest, alerting them visiting hours were over, and it was time for dinner. Zenigata cursed his luck, he had just begun making headway when interruptions kept popping up. The goddamned luck, what had it ever done for him? Had it gotten his memory back? I think not! Had it cured him of his headache? Nuh-uh! Stupid luck.

Lupin got up from the bed, his blessed luck had saved him from the dreaded statement. With luck, he would be given more time to think about giving Zenigata a straight answer, or lying to him once again. Would his guilt increase ten fold if he were to lie? Or should he allow Zenigata to take the news in his own way, and pray the man didn't hate him? …

Urgh, Lupin defiantly needed more time to think about it. He walked to the door, stopping to wave at Zenigata, whom was getting up from the floor. Nurse Fujiko lead him down the hall, but before they even reached the doors to the stairwell, Zenigata ran from his room, calling after them.

"Please come tomorrow, Lupin-san! I want to talk to you more!" Zenigata's voice seemed a little desperate, even to him, but he couldn't stop himself. He needed to talk, he wanted to know what happened that day. The only true eye witness of his last moments of his last life was gone… But then their was this man! Why had no one told him about his childhood friend, whom he had seen that day? Were they worried he'd bring Zenigata's memories back, or something? Did they not want him to remember? Was there something they were covering up, that only Zenigata knew? Or maybe it was safe to say Zenigata was getting ahead of himself with his conspiracies? Yeah… Probably was.

Lupin just looked back, giving a strained smile, before following Fujiko into the stairwell that would take them back to the first floor. Once the door had swung to a close, Nurse Fujiko looked at Lupin with a irate expression.

"Give me one good reasons not to call security on you right now, 'Prodigy Thief, Lupin III'." She all but growled, and Lupin looked at her, taken aback. How did she know? Was he blacklisted already, without him even knowing? Then something donned on him…

"He remember my name."

Fujiko shook her head, not surprised. "He doesn't have a disorder, his memory has been quiet clear for the last two years. That's it, I'm calling--"

"No! I- Uh, I mean, no… He called me by my real name, you introduced me as Arsene Nipul, and he called me Lupin, he remember my name. _He remembered_." Lupin stressed, this surprised even himself. Two years with doctors, friends and family, and zip, two hours with Lupin (or something like that), and BLAMO, Zenigata was remembering stuff left, right and center.

Okay… Well maybe he was remembering one thing, and by accident, but still, it was nothing but good news for Lupin. Fujiko was giving him a sceptical look, but sighed in a defeated way, Lupin was right. Zenigata had never been told Lupin's name, but here was, able to say it with out a second thought. Maybe the prodigy thief's presence was good for the former cop.

"Which reminds me, how did you know who I was? I mean, it's not like I came in here, all swaggers and bragging. Did you like, wiki it or something?" The thief asked in genuine curiosity, it wasn't often that people cornered him, threatening to call the police, or security. Well… Not in places he hadn't recently pulled a heist in…

Nurse Fujiko just look back at him, with a twinkle in her eyes and a slight smile on her lips. "Never you mind, now please, remove yourself from this establishment immediately, visiting hours are over. Or will I have to call security after all?" Her threat didn't seem as serious as before, but Lupin didn't want to take any chances, he began descending the stairs at a quick pace, Fujiko following after him. She walked him all the way to the doors, of the institution, watching him walk away. She waved to him, in a seemingly friendly way. "Now you remember to visit again!"

Walking away, Lupin couldn't help but feel she was glaring at him, or something. He wondered about that women, her, and other staff he met… Was it just him, or did they seem a bit weird to be working in a mental institution? He could swear that it wasn't just him.

When the door had swung shut, Zenigata snuck up to the doors, instead of going to dinner. The staff would be mad, and he knew that, but he had a feeling… And he needed to confirm he was just being suspicious. He cowered behind the door, pressing his ear to it, trying to hear the people just beyond. He tried keeping his breathing and heart beat normal, but this was exciting for him. Maybe this was the investigative side of him showing it's self. He could barely hear their voices but he could tell Nurse Fujiko was annoyed, or angry.

_"---call security on you right now, 'Prodigy Thief, Lupin III'."_ She had growled out. What the heck did that mean? Lupin… Thief Lupin? What was she talking about? Lupin… Oh! Nipul-san! Zenigata shook his head deafly, why had he called him Lupin? That wasn't his name, was it? He clued in to hear Nurse Fujiko's voice again.

_"That's it, I'm calling--"_

She was quickly interrupted by Lupin… Or Nipul or… Gah! Something.

_"No! I- Uh, I mean, no… He called me by my real name, you introduced me as Arsene Nipul, and he called me Lupin, he remember my name. **He remembered**."_

Zenigata heard this loud and clear, he slunk away from the door quietly, fearing that his racing heart would explode, and alert the other's to his presence. He managed to stagger his way to his room, and he quickly dashed inside. He closed the door behind him, and leaned on it.

He had done it.

He had remember something.

And he hadn't even realized it.

He let out a breathe he didn't know he had been holding. Years of visits from Doctors, family and friends, and nothing. This, 'Lupin' person comes, and already Zenigata had remembered something. The poor man nearly jumped out of his skin when a knock came at the door, right behind his head.

"Koichi-san?" It was Jigen, and Zenigata breathed a sigh on relief, he didn't really want to face Nurse Fujiko, or 'Nipul-san' right now. It was just to terrifying, to… Enthralling! He hadn't felt so much since he arrived here. His heart and his head hurt, from all the thoughts, and it felt great! It was like being a part of those crime dramas he saw on TV, it was like being the main character in the books he read.

"Y-yes?" Damnit, why couldn't he keep his voice straight, like a normal cop should be able to?

"Are you alright? I was just coming to remind you that it's dinner." The man's worried voice drifted through the door, but did little to comfort Koichi Zenigata. Said man had lost his appetite in all the excitement, and stopped himself from sighing again.

"No, no. I'm fine, I'm just not hungry right now. M-my head hurts. So I think I am going to sleep now." He said, and it was all in fact, true. He hated ever lying to the faculty here, and any chance to avoid that was a good one.

Jigen gave a annoyed humph, and tried to open the door. Zenigata nearly stumbled forward, but caught his balance, and fell back against the door, shutting Jigen out again.

"Koichi-san, what is going on? Open the door. Right. Now." It was hard to argue with Jigen's growls, and Zenigata was unfairly beginning to feel like a rebellious teenager. He turned to face the door, and opened it a crack to look at Jigen with tired eyes. But, when you give Jigen a crack, he often takes a mile. The other man stumbled through the door, knocking Zenigata onto the floor, under him.

"Oops, sorry there Koichi-san, just had to make sure you weren't doing something stupid, like committing suicide, or some non-sense like that." Jigen said, after a quick visual search of Zenigata's body. Being staff at a place like this meant you always had to be prepared for something like that. He got up, and helped Zenigata up as well. Zenigata nodded at him, before giving a big, and hopefully not obviously fake yawn.

"Well, I can see you are tired, I'll let you get some rest, and tell the kitchen staff to save you some dinner, in case you get hungry later tonight." Jigen said, with an awkward cough. As soon as the door closed, and the light switched off Zenigata plopped down on his bed, not yet bothering to change into his pyjamas.

Man, did he have a lot to think about… And a killer headache…

* * *

Sorry, gotta end it there for now. Why? Because it's 2:30 am, and anymore writing you'll get from me tonight will be crap. But yeah… Until next update…


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